News

Herman Loubser won the Sunshine Tour Final Stage Qualifying School with a total 20-under-par 360 at Randpark Golf Club to earn his playing privileges and lead 34 players onto the main professional golf circuit in Southern Africa.

A three-under-par final round on the final day took him two strokes clear of the chasing Martin Rohwer who came to Randpark via his win at Killarney Country Club in the first stage. “I’m over the moon. It’s such a good feeling. To walk away with the trophy is such a good feeling,” he said. “It was a gruelling challenge out there.”

He said he was glad to have conquered his nemesis hole, the 16th, following days of struggle on that stretch from 16 to 18. “I stood on the 16th green today and thought ‘Oh, Herman, just two-putt this, please,’ and I managed to do it. I finally conquered it,” he quipped.

Q-School is probably one of the most gruelling golfing challenges for amateurs and professional players alike, but this edition saw eight amateurs, including Loubser, secure their cards for next season.

Behind Loubser, England’s duo of Chris Lloyd and Scot Campbell finished in third and fourth position respectively and took to nine the number of new foreign nationals who will compete on the Sunshine Tour in the forthcoming season.

Robertson’s Jacquin Hess is the only member of the Gary Player Class of 2017 who managed to reclaim his card, after Trevor Mahoney, Teboho Sefatsa, Mpho Mafishe, Irvin Mzibuko, Thabang Simon and Neezy Thibisi all failed to do so.